I’m fortunate to have had a role model as I was growing up. My brother, Jack, was six years older than I was. When I was 6 years old, the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. I asked Jack if they’d be coming to Pittsburgh. He said, yes, they would. I asked him if they’d be coming to our house. He said, “Yes, they will.” I said, well, I’m going down to the basement; they won’t be coming down there, will they? He said, “Yes, they will.”

The good news is that’s the only bump I ever had in my relationship with Jack. He was a wonderful role model. A straight-A student, a star tennis player, president of his college fraternity. Jack, a lifelong resident of the Pittsburgh area, passed away recently at the age of 87. I miss him so much.

CHARLES GRODIN
Wilton, Conn.

Actor Charles Grodin and Jack Grodin grew up in Highland Park.

First Published: May 21, 2017, 4:00 a.m.